Martin Skrtel has welcomed the increased competition for places at the heart of Liverpool’s defence – and insisted there was never any chance of him leaving during the transfer window.

Brendan Rodgers bolstered his centre-back options on Monday’s deadline day with a £25m double deal for Paris Saint-Germain’s Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori of Sporting Lisbon.

Skrtel had fallen out of favour at Anfield during the second half of last season amid reports consistently suggesting former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was keen on a reunion with the Slovakia international at Napoli.

But after the 28-year-old marked his first outing of the season with a man-of-the-match display against Manchester United on Sunday, he dismissed suggestions he could have departed.

“I’m staying at Liverpool,” said Skrtel yesterday as he prepared for his country’s World Cup qualifier against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday.

“The rumours were never as strong as it was made out.

“There has been no contact with other clubs because the Liverpool management told me that they were counting on me. That is why a transfer was never in my plans.”

Along with new boys Sakho and Ilori, Rodgers also swooped for Kolo Toure during the summer with the Ivorian starting Liverpool’s first three games before sustaining a groin injury.

Liverpool have signed Paris Saint Germain centre back Mamadou Sakho

And Skrtel added: “I have never considered it (the United game) to be a chance to show that I deserve to stay at Liverpool. It was a big derby but, on the other hand, it was also just another league game.”

“Players come, players leave, it’s a normal thing and we will see how it develops.”

With Liverpool having opened the season with three straight victories to top the embryonic Premier League table, Skrtel believes the Anfield outfit should be targeting Champions League qualification.

“You may say that the number of clubs competing is increasing from one year to the next,” he said. “Again we have seen clubs spending big sums of money – (Manchester) City, Tottenham, Chelsea and even Arsenal.

“Competition is big but when I look at how we have played, I would say that we belong in the top four.”

Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool’s matchwinner in the opening three games, sat out training for England yesterday to prompt fears he could be ruled out of the forthcoming World Cup qualifying double header against Moldova on Friday and in Ukraine next Tuesday.

Sturridge played through the pain barrier of a thigh problem against United at the weekend, a match that saw Glen Johnson pick up an ankle complaint that forced him to pull out of the England squad on Monday.

Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom has been appointed permanent captain of England Under-21s by new coach Gareth Southgate.

The 20-year-old wore the armband when the Three Lions thrashed Scotland 6-0 in an international friendly last month.

“It’s a great honour to captain England at any level, so I’m delighted to have retained the captaincy,” said Wisdom.

Liverpool have announced the squad numbers for their recent batch of new arrivals. Sakho will wear 17, Ilori 26 while the on-loan Victor Moses has been handed number 12.